Apple Inc. (AAPL): What’s Next?

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Car talk
Online services exec Eddy Cue and marketing chief Phil Schiller are both known as car buffs, and Cue recently joined Ferrari’s board of directors. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) director Mickey Drexler once confirmed that Jobs had always dreamed of making an iCar to take on the automakers. Of course, Apple will never enter the car market directly, but what the company can do is to integrate its technology deeper into vehicles to broaden the appeal of its devices.

To that end, Apple has been collaborating with automakers to integrate Siri’s Eyes Free functionality, starting with General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) and Honda Motor Co Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:HMC), among others. Volkswagen just unveiled an iBeetle, which was specifically designed to integrate with iPhones. iOS 7 is expected to make a big push into car integration with Siri and Maps.

Direct auto integration would be highly complementary for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s mobile gadgets.

What’s next?
These are just two examples of how Apple management will likely pursue personal interests in expanding Apple’s horizons. Schiller is also a “rabid hockey fan,” so the Mac maker could even be preparing to disrupt the lucrative hockey puck industry. Incumbent puck manufacturers won’t know what hit them when the anodized aluminum unibody iPuck strikes.

The article How Apple Chooses Where to Go Next originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Evan Niu, CFA.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, General Motors, Google, and Nike. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Google, and Nike.

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